Microsoft Announces New Global ISVs

Microsoft reported that it has partnership agreements with four new global independent software vendors.

HOUSTON—At its Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), Microsoft announced new partner agreements with four leading global independent software vendors (GISVs).
Microsoft's GISV program offers special partner agreements between select solution providers and Microsoft that help companies with deep industry expertise tailor software solutions to provide the right fit for customers. This also provides customers with specialized industry software built on a platform that has a proven success record in different industries.
The continued evolution of technology is creating more opportunities for solution providers than ever, said Neil Holloway, corporate vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) Sales and Operations. "As technology marches on and business needs evolve, the demand for software with specialized functionality is an ever-growing industry," Holloway said in a statement. "We're here this week to show how Microsoft is investing in its partners, how focused we are on helping deliver the best experiences to enterprise customers, and how the biggest, best opportunities for ISVs still lie ahead."
Against that backdrop, the Microsoft Dynamics group announced that it would bring aboard four new GISVs that have signed deals to participate in the exclusive program: distribution and manufacturing provider I.B.I.S., automotive software maker Incadea, food supply-chain consultancy Anglia Business Solutions and retail automation vendor Escher Group.

Andy Vabulas, chief executive of I.B.I.S., said becoming a Microsoft GISV is a game-changer that enabled his company to build direct relationships within Microsoft and throughout its network of more than 600,000 partner companies to greatly expand I.B.I.S.'s reach and creating opportunities for new business that would not otherwise be possible.

"It's probably the best business opportunity that we've ever been presented from any partner, including Microsoft," Vabulas said in a statement. "I can see where we will double or triple our business over the next five years."
Indeed, Vabulas said the distribution and manufacturing world in which I.B.I.S. operates has not been heavily addressed on the Microsoft platform, thus there is a major opportunity to bring the power of Microsoft's unified technology stack to an industry that lacks diverse offerings.
"There are 6,500-plus distributors in the industrial distribution market in the U.S. alone that will need to change ERP systems in the next five years," Vabulas said. "With Microsoft Dynamics AX providing a modern and powerful ERP system, we felt if we did some work in revenue management, order management, inventory and procurement, we could really tailor AX to fit the sophisticated needs of those companies."
To tackle that challenge, I.B.I.S. developed a software layer on top of Microsoft Dynamics AX that handles complex issues facing distributors such as advanced pricing, commissions, optimized order entry, lost sales tracking, consignment and vendor-managed inventory, all wrapped with industry-specific key performance indicators.